''Glottiphyllum cruciatum'' is a rare

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

plant, of the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is d ...

. It is indigenous to arid areas near

Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn (, ), the "ostrich capital of the world", is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located between the Swartberg mountains to the north and the Outeniqua Mountains to the south. Two ostrich-feather booms, during 1865–1 ...

in the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. The plant has many synonyms including ''Glottiphyllum angustum''.

Description

This species has upturned, fleshy leaves that are broadened at the base, and born in pairs. The two leaves in a leaf-pair are a very similar size, unlike many other species of ''

Glottiphyllum ''Glottiphyllum'' is a genus of about 57 species of succulent subtropical plants of the family Aizoaceae. It is closely related to the ''Gibbaeum'' and '' Faucaria'' genera. The name comes from ancient Greek γλωττίς ''glottis'' "tongue" an ...

''. The leaf-pairs grow in a decussate arrangement (each leaf-pair at right angles to the previous one, rather than all in the same two distichous rows). The stems spread horizontally along the ground and the plant eventually can form large mats. The seed capsules have very high tops, and their stalks disintegrate quickly after the seeds have been released. This species most resembles its close relative, ''

Glottiphyllum surrectum ''Glottiphyllum surrectum'' is a species of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae. It is indigenous to arid areas of the Little Karoo, in the Western Cape, South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is th ...

'', which is found further to the west, in the western

Little Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...

.Heidrun E.K. Hartmann, Horst Gölling: ''A monograph on the genus Glottiphyllum (Mesembryanthema, Aizoaceae)''. In: Bradleya. Band 11, 1993, p.40

Distribution

The species is restricted to a small part of the central

, near the town of

. Here, it co-occurs with its two relatives, ''

Glottiphyllum linguiforme ''Glottiphyllum linguiforme'' is a widespread species of succulent plant, of the family Aizoaceae, native to South Africa. It is the type species of the genus ''Glottiphyllum''. Description This plant's species name means "tongue-shaped" in La ...

'' and the very widespread ''

Glottiphyllum depressum ''Glottiphyllum depressum'' is a common species of succulent plant, of the family Aizoaceae, native to South Africa. It is probably the most widespread species of ''Glottiphyllum'', after ''Glottiphyllum longum'', and one of the most commonly fo ...

''. It is under threat due to Ostrich farming removing its habitat. It is believed that only 250 plants remain on a small one hectare reserve in South Africa.Vlok, J.H. & Raimondo, D. 2007. Glottiphyllum cruciatum (Haw.) N.E.Br. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2012.1. Accessed on 2013/01/06

Cultivation

All ''

'' plants can be grown in small pots in a lean soil with sand and clay and very good drainage. They require very sunny exposure, and need moderate watering in summer and not at all in winter.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5571996 cruciatum Taxa named by Adrian Hardy Haworth